Inspired by several famous Black female musical trios, Dreamgirls is back on Broadway. Catch Effie, Lorrell, and Deena in the Tony Award-winning production for its eleventh Broadway series on opening night, Friday, September 9, at 8:00 p.m at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre. The show will run until October 16.
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Following the lives of three young Black women with voices of gold, Dreamgirls brings the Motown sound to life. Just like the real women did in the ‘60s, the trio will captivate audiences. Even more than that, the story, the friendships, and the hardships will remind showgoers of the obstacles that Black women overcame to succeed all while belting out smash hits like “Move” and “Fake Your Way to the Top.”
Featuring The Color Purple’s Mariah Lyttle as Lorrell, Breyannah Tillman as Effie, and newcomer Taylor Marie Daniel as Deena, the star trio will be belting, dancing, and bringing the well-known rags-to-riches story to the Paramount stage.
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Directed by Christopher D. Betts, Dreamgirls will make its debut in the western suburb of Aurora. Now a New York-based director, the recent Yale School of Drama MFA graduate is a Chicagoland native.
“I am thrilled to be returning to the Chicagoland area to direct Dreamgirls at Paramount. As a Chicago native, it is a dream come true to reintroduce myself to my community as a director with my favorite musical,” says Betts.
The director is also excited about the social and cultural progress that Dreamgirls represents in the theater community. “Our industry is beginning to bend toward the inclusion of people who belong to the communities represented onstage as leaders of the theatrical process… Dreamgirls represents a similar moment in history when Black artists were beginning to have a fighting chance at impacting the music industry,” says the Chicago native.
Opening night is Friday, September 9, at 8:00 p.m. Performances run through October 16, and will be shown on Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Thursdays at 7:00 p.m., Fridays at 8:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sundays at 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Paramount Theatre is located at 23 E. Galena Blvd. in downtown Aurora. For more information about Paramount Theatre, visit www.paramountaurora.com. Tickets can be purchased here. More details about Dreamgirls can be found here.
Photography by: Amy Nelson, Courtesy of Paramount Theatre
